Sins of the Mother
by cookiegutter
Summary: My long overdue third installment is here. So, hooray! Unlike the previous two installments that included most of the characters in the series, this one will revolve around Jack and Shepard almost entirely. Which is a shame, since I do like the entire cast. There will be some cameos, but don't expect too much. Anyway, this is Sins of the Mother and I hope you guys will enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

The terminal past the docking bay had been busy. People had come and gone, people he hardly knew and people that hardly knew how much they owed him. Shepard had been pacing about for what had looked like an hour. The people that had come with the shuttle had long since taken their leave and the ones that were planning to board it, had already done so. The vessel was already prepping to start off on its next journey. The captain bumped his head against the glass and looked out at the darkness of space and the ships docking and disembarking on the station. He gave a light tap with his boot against the wall beneath the window, a small sign of his frustration, before heaving a sort sigh and going to sit back down on one of the seat at the terminal. He pulled out a small, clear, see-through tablet out of his jacket and fiddled with his omni-tool. The clear screen brought up a picture that the man interacted with, scrolling up and down. Look as he might, he saw no new messages for him. He sighed again, this time more deeply and then hang his head. If she wasn't going to show up for their planned vacation, she could have at least e-mailed him that she wasn't coming.

_"By the Goddess"_ sounded a voice, loud enough and with enough surprise that snapped him out of his depressed state. _"Aren't you commander Shepard?" _the Asari brashly asked.

_"Captain" _the human corrected her, but he was sure that went completely over her head.

He sized her up for a moment. Eyes wide open in doe eyed excitement, a flimsy smile and dyed head tentacles. The painting she had given her face was symmetrical, but with a vibrant red that contrasted against her cooler cyan complexion. She wore a white dress with many small details on it that matched her colours. In a sense it was elegant, but way too revealing. The top of the dress was tied around her neck by a thin pair of cyan strings and another strap that went around her back, all blending in harmonically to her skin tone. It also never went down below her breasts, exposing most of her abdominal area and connecting with the rest of the dress through an alabaster ring. At the center of the ring was her navel, adorned with a precious blue stone, a sapphire. Below the waist, the fabric lazily enveloped her glutes, while sporting a large opening on each side, revealing the alien's legs. All these would have looked perfect on one of those Asari stripper dancers, like the ones he had seen in Chora's Den, or in Omega. Then Shepard realized that she was one of those Asari stripper dancers. _Oh, _was all he could tell to himself, as he raised both eyebrows, knowingly.

_"Could I please have your autograph?" _the alien wondered as she walked up to him, Shepard getting himself up to meet her.

_"Uh ... sure!" _he answered her. Anything to get her to leave, so he could go back to being miserable. _"Do you have a picture or something I could sign?"_

_"No picture, I'm afraid" _she replied. _"How about you sign here instead?" _she said, dramatically pointing at her perfectly defined abs.

Shepard tilted his head to the side, as if saying _"why the hell not?" _and just as he was about to kneel down and ask for the alien's name, his train of thought was interrupted by a powerful feminine voice. _"Hey, get your own man, slut" _the voice said. The Asari turned around and gave the woman a sharp glance, but the short stature human wasn't that easily intimidated.

The biggest surprise came to Shepard, who noticed the woman's once more bald head. _"Jack?" _he wondered more to himself, out loud.

_"Go on, get! Scram!" _Zero shouted, walking to place herself between her mate and the alien.

_"Jack?" _Shepard repeated, once more a little confused.

Somewhere, somehow, the instinct of self-preservation inside the Asari seemed to jolt and she knew she really did not want to fuck with that woman. With a few unsure steps, she distanced herself from the two human and once she was far enough away, she ran as fast as her legs could carry her. After seeing her opponent flee, Jack finally eased into a more relaxed posture.

_"Jack_" the marine said again, only this time it wasn't a question.

_"What?" _she turned around and snapped at him.

_"Your hair" _he calmly responded.

_"Oh"_ Jack replied, a lot less tense, remembering herself. _"Yeah, just a little Eezo related accident back at the academy" _she dismissed.

The captain knew from experience that there was nothing dismissive about accidents pertaining to element zero, so, naturally, he was shocked. _"Oh my God! Are the kids alright?"_

_"Of course they're alright, why would you"_ she started, only to realize the boyscout just didn't get it. She fumbled her words in frustration. _"No, not real eezo, dumbass. My varren. Bumped my hand while I was taking the sides with the hair clipper."__  
><em>

_"Ah, that's too bad"_ the specter offered his sympathies.

_"Liar" _Zero called him out. _"I know you like it better this way"._

_"Doesn't matter what I like, Jack. It's what makes you feel more comfortable with yourself", _the marine encouraged her.

_"Pssh!" _the biotic scoffed, shaking her head. _"And what's with you chasing Asari tail, anyway? I was like, what? Five minutes late?" _she scolded him.

_"I was just"_ the spectre started.

_"Five minutes" _Jack repeated louder, drowning out Shepard's voice.

Shepard himself, might have been a boyscout, but even his temper had bounds. Still, he knew his mistress well enough. He knew when she meant something, when she was being playful and when she was just trying to make him tick. So he decided to make her tick back. The spectre simply tilted his head forward, eyes closed and with a sigh and a scowl let all his anger out. When his eyes opened up again, there was a smile on his face. _"I missed you Jack", _was all he said.

_"You sure have a funny fucking way of way of showing that" _she retaliated, increasingly agitated at the man's contained reply.

_"For God's sake, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?" _Shepard taunted her, vexing her even more. The slap came to his face more like a reflex, than a conscious action, but he didn't even flinch. Sure, it tore his lip, which he registered immediately, but he didn't care. He flicked the would a little with his tongue, revealing a few bloodied teeth along the way. _"No, you only kiss me with that dirty little vulgar mouth of yours"._

Zero's fists clenched, her bosom raising and falling rapidly as her breathing became more rapid. She wanted to fight him, she wanted to beat him and the more she thought about it, the more she flushed. With a cocky smile on his face, the captain leaned closer to her. Slowly the violent thoughts in Jack's mind turned to something else, just as based and carnal, with an even more furious desire. Her conditioning was already taking effect. By now, the man's lips where hardly a breath away. She moved those last few inches towards him, feeling his lips touch hers, a little salty from the blood and worn from the slap, but she liked them just the same. His tongue wormed inside her mouth, wrestling with her own lithe appendage, then tickling her palette. Her hands tore at his jacket, as her excitement rose, alongside her lust and even when the man pulled back, she followed him for a while, reluctant to let him go.

The knowing look on his face said all there was to be said. As a reply, Zero shook her head left and right, while still licking her lips, savoring the aftertaste. _"Dumbass" _was all she could utter, before forcing her lips back onto his.

*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*

The pudgy little Volus, that went by the name of Doran, shook his lower half left and right, alternately throwing his hands in the air, index fingers pointing upwards as he did so. Doran didn't usually dance, but on a rare occasion and if the club wasn't busy, he was known to step up to Flux' dance floor and show off his moves.

_"Oh, you're good" _Rita, the club's human waitress, spurred him on, as she danced by his side.

_"I'm good" _the Volus seemed to agree, as he started to do more exaggerated movements with his hips.

_"Good? He's lightning" _Jenna, the other human waitress and Rita's sister, offered, as she too danced by the Volus' side.

_"I'm lightning" _Doran cheered, half-wheezing as he said so.

This whole scene brought a smile to Shepard's face. It was a soft little reminder of the things he managed to save by fighting for the galaxy and what made the universe a much more lighthearted place to live in. Soon, however, that whimsical smile was gone from his face, as he turned around to face his mate. She had her arm stretched along the length of a chair next to her, a cigarette slowly burning between her fingers, as she looked outside the window, trying to divert her attention to something that wouldn't piss her off more than she already was. On the table in front of her was her plate with her lunch, still untouched. A waffle topped with three balls of ice cream and garnished with french fries, bacon, cheddar cheese and chocolate syrup.

Shepard had become accustomed to his beloved's weird eating habits and her demand for high cal intakes in short intervals. For someone like Jack, it was a necessity, if she wanted to keep on living. The fact that the three ice cream balls had melted away, before she had even taken a bite out of her waffle was a testament to how bad things were.

_"You need to eat, Jack" _the captain broke the awkward silence between the two.

_"The fuck do you know about what I need?" _the biotic dismissed.

The sigh that came out of the marine's mouth must have been somewhere around the twentieth, if Jack recalled correctly. _"Listen" _the man started _"I know this isn't how we planned it, but I'll only be gone for a day. __Two days tops. And Miranda's going to keep you company, so you won't even know I 'm gone. I promise I'll be back before you notice." _But Jack didn't respond nor react to him. He huffed, exasperated. _"Alright, I get it. I know my promises don't mean that much" _he tried to apologize.

_"It's not the promise that I have a problem with" _Zero snapped at him. _"I can handle promises, I've lived on promises my entire life, Shepard" _she explained.

_"Then what?" _the marine countermanded.

Again, the inked woman didn't answer him. She raised her hand and rubbed her temple with her thumb, then shrugged, disinterested. In turn, the captain leaned back on his chair, not wanting to press the matter. His eyes drifted to the side, then to the woman in front of him, then somewhere low and to his right, his leg, as it thumped the floor repeatedly and in short intervals, then back at her.

_"You seem to have put a lot of thought on promises" _he gambled.

Jack shrugged again. _"I guess", _she replied.

_"You feel like talking about it?" _the man prodded.

The small woman rolled her head, along with her eyes, then drew a long circle with her arm on the air, the smoke from her cigarette leaving a neat trail behind. _"Promises are" _she started, trying to collect her thoughts. _"Life runs on them. When you're a little girl and you find yourself locked in a room you don't want to be in, you find strength in the promise of freedom. You'll get the fuck out of there one day and do whatever the fuck you want. You fight, with the promise that, if you win the fight, if you kill your enemies, the pain will stop, it will go away and the next breath will be easier. You look forward to tomorrow because tomorrow promises to be a better day. Everything brings a promise" _she rationalized.

Shepard's brow contorted, taking in Jack's words. _"Are you sure you're not mistaking promises for hope?" _he argued.

_"But hope, in itself, is a promise" _Zero clarified, shaking her finger at him in a negative fashion. _"It promises that things can only go up from here. And that's why you cling to hope, because it's the most deceiving of promises, even when proven wrong, time and time again, it will still promise you that one thing you need, that one thing that will still keep you going. Even when it hurts so bad, you just feel like quitting, especially then." _Jack stopped herself there, realizing she had raised her voice more than she wanted, going on a tangent she didn't even want to start, letting the man in front of her on perhaps too much about herself. She resumed her disinterested position, just as the man leaned forward with a knowing smile on his face.

_"So if everything brings a promise, what promise do I bring?" _he inquired.

Without letting the cigarette from her hand, Jack brought it close to her mouth. She bit down on her thumbnail repeatedly, nervously. _"Safety" _she decided after a moment. _"Security. Stability"_ she added, just as her lips curled on the side for a playful smile. _"__Sex" _she concluded.

The captain raised both eyebrows and nodded his head to the side. _"That's a lot of 'S's" _he acknowledged.

_"Maybe there wouldn't be that many if you weren't such an ass all the time", _Zero taunted with a play on words. As bad as her pun was, the commander couldn't help a little chuckle. _"__How about me?" _the biotic wondered.

Shepard didn't have to think too hard about it, although he did pretend to, squinting his eyes as hard as he could. _"Excitement" _was the first thing that came to mind. _"Companionship__. Lust" _he added, then paused. _"And many challenges"_ the man concluded.

_"Challenges?" _the bald woman questioned, slightly agitated.

_"Don't take this the wrong way. I probably got a lot less flak from you than anyone else you've ever met, but that still leaves a lot", _the commander elaborated.

_"Then why the hell are you still with me, if I make it so hard for you?" _the biotic quizzed.

_"Because I could never be with someone who is complacent with me. Frankly, I tried that and it wasn't working out too well. But you ... you keep me on my toes, you question every decision I make and offer your own opinion without being afraid that I might think lesser of you. You are who you are and you've always been honest about it. I need that. I need you. Because I'm not always right, I'm not an infallible being that others seem to put on a pedestal and follow unquestioningly. You keep me grounded and remind me that I can be wrong sometimes. And being wrong isn't always a bad thing, it's what being human is about, after all. As long as you realize your mistakes and work towards setting things right"._ The man paused for a breath. _"I can't do that without you reminding me that I'm a dumbass ninety percent of the time"_ he smiled at her and she smiled back. Shepard looked down on her plate. _"So now, are you gonna eat? I booked us the Armax Arena for an hour"._

Jack looked at her plate as well. The waffle was soaked in a soup that used to be ice cream, the fries were cold and not really to her liking and the bacon had devolved into tiny bites that she could catch with her fork. Even the chocolate syrup didn't seem as appealing as before. Her hand planted her cigarette in the midst of it all. _"I'll eat, if you get me a new one" _she settled.

*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*

The chambers of the YMIR's miniguns stopped whirring abruptly. It wasn't that it powered down or that something was jammed, far from it, but it seemed like an equal or greater force was keeping them in place. Not diagnosing a problem with its rotors, the mech tried to accelerate the mechanisms, only to hear them crack under the pressure. The dual guns exploded shortly there after, due to the accumulation of ammunition in its chambers, but with no way to actually expel them. The bald woman that was running towards it lowered her hands and slid under it, raising herself up again as she passed it. With a motion of her right hand, lightning crackling around it, the YMIR was immobilized, then, as she tightened her hand to a fist, the gigantic android crumpled into itself before exploding in a blaze of red and blue, shaking the ground underneath it.

The biotic turned her attention to her left, just as a grenade, launched only a second ago from the M-100 carried by an armored figure not that far behind her, connected with the head of a LOKI that had captured her attention. The subsequent explosion left little for her to work with. The field ahead of her cleared, Jack turned around to watch her back. Another droid, armed with an assault rifle was closing in on her, followed by a second one, carrying a large steel slate that worked as a shield and a pistol. Sending a shockwave their way, the sequence of biotic explosions lifting both mechs in the air, Jack seized the chance to yank the slate off the droid's arm, along with a part of said arm. As the robots toppled on top of each other, she drove the slate right through them. Their chassis broken and their cores ruptured, the two droids blew up in an explosion that was mildly satisfying to the biotic. She scanned around for another enemy, but the battlefield was empty. Relatively. There were all sorts of debris and synthetic parts scattered around, still melting or burning something every here and there in the arena.

_"Oh, come on", _Zero whined, realizing that their run was over. _"I'm hardly even wet" _she resigned herself, as the armored figure closed up behind her.

_"You're kinda right" _the man said, struggling to remove his helmet. _"Didn't even break a sweat this time"._

_"That's not what I meant, dumbass"_ Jack went on complaining.

Shepard paused for a minute, trying to think what she meant, then beat himself over the head about it. _"Oh" _was all he could offer as an apology.

*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*

The captain walked out of the shower to both a familiar and welcome sight; his lover laid down on his bed. Zero was never a fan of all that clothing fad that people were always so hang up about. She was proud of her body, but most importantly, her ink and she'd never turn down a chance to show it off. Still, there were a couple articles of clothing that she still wore. A white cotton tank top that covered the bare essentials up top and a black little ... _"thing"_ that covered her nether parts. Shepard only thought of it as a _"thing_" because it definitely wasn't a thong and calling it a string, was an insult to strings everywhere. They were much thicker than that. "_A thread" _the man settled. It was so thin that it could only be described as _"a thread"_. For all his insight into the matter, he couldn't, however, pinpoint the reason of its existence. _"It certainly doesn't cover anything," _he thought to himself. _"Nothing essential, at least"._

He decided that he was all in all putting too much thought into something insignificant and inconsequential. He dismissed the miniscule piece of thread from his mind and focused on the task at hand; her. He ran his hands across the length of her legs, stroking them as roughly as he could, running his fingers forcefully over her glutes, before grabbing her by the waist. He sunk his face between the two perky little mounds, perched on his lover's lower back. However, his mistress didn't seem to share his enthusiasm. She lifted her gaze from the datapad that had grabbed her attention, as soon as she felt his tongue fondle her skin.

_"Get off it, dumbass", _she berated him, snapping her lower waist, her rump bumping against his face.

It was rather obvious that Jack simply wasn't in the mood. With a deep sigh and great difficulty, the marine let go of her lower waist and laid himself down next to her. Still, he did have one arm go under her tank top, gently massaging Jack's shoulder. _"So what's eating you up?" _he wondered, seeing his lover's perplexed look and the hatred with which she stared at her datapad.

_"It's these fucking rosters" _Jack argued, huffing her frustration. _"I've been running Rodriguez holding the barriers for too long now and it's taking a toll on her. I need to give her some rest" _she explained.

_"So what's stopping you?" _the captain shrugged, not seeing the problem.

_"The problem is that when Rodriguez is holding the barriers, the rest of the team is fifty percent more efficient in combat situations" _the biotic informed him. _"The entire team tries twice as hard to carry their weight, so the load on Rodriguez won't be as bad" _she stopped for a pause and looked back to her datapad, as if it would have the answer she was waiting for on its monitor. _"She's like a sister to them, you know?" _she concluded.

Shepard squinted his eyes, trying to think. _"How do the kids feel about Diaz?"_

Jack followed Shepard with her eyes, trying to follow his train of thought. _"They like her just as much" _she conceded.

_"So if you were to substitute Rodriguez with Diaz, would they still work as hard?" _the man inquired.

_"Well, yeah. But Diaz isn't nearly as good as Rodriguez" _the biotic argued.

_"Then assign Rodriguez as barrier back up, so Diaz can take the brunt of it and Rodriguez cant step up only when needed, so she can have her rest" _the marine suggested.

Zero's face lit up. _"That's it" _she beamed and returned to her datapad. _"Now if only this fucking thing would work, I'd finally be done with the rosters" _she whined.

_"Let me have a look at it" _the captain suggested, retracting his hand from under Jack's tank top and extending it in front of her, ready to receive the faulty gadget. The biotic handed him it without much thought and he started interacting with it, only to be surprised at how non responsive it were. He flipped back and forth, checking it out. _"Is this?" _he started, perplexed. _"This is the old one. What happened to the new one I got you?_"

_"I couldn't get use to it, alright?" _Jack argued, defensively.

Shepard hang his head, frustrated and sighed. _"Fine" _he said, finally and started up his omni-tool. He accessed the datapad's registry through it, trying to clear it off from prompts that congested the tablet's processing power, as well as shutting down runtimes that had no reason running in the background to begin with. Eventually, the gadget returned to a functioning state. _"There, how's this?" _he grumbled, handing it back to Jack.

The biotic tapped the slate's surface and found it surprisingly responsive. Then she turned her attention back to the man next to her, narrowing her eyes to little more than slits. Needless to say, that caused the marine to feel some discomfort, as if he had done something that he shouldn't and now he was in trouble. _"Nobody said you could stop, dumbass" _the bald woman scolded him. In spite of the seeming anger in her eyes, the captain had no idea what he had done wrong. Slowly, the expression on the biotic's face softened, however and with a nod of her head, pointed towards her shoulder.

_"Ah" _Shepard exclaimed, relieved and wormed his hand under Jack's top once more.

*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*

The marine, of course, was busy as well. He had his own rosters to fill, check with the requisition office and, of course, since his next mission mission was spectre business, he would have to allocate his own funds to pay the crew. Now that Jack had taken up the shower, he would find the time to look into it all. He laid down on the bed, his back supported by a couple of pillows. He wore a buttoned up beige padded shirt, with blue trims and a matching pair of blue pants with beige trims. His one leg was stretched, the other bent to the side, at the knee. On his one hand he held his datapad, his gaze fixed at it, eyebrows contorted as he tried to make all the numbers add up. He took his time with it and after a while, the digits started to make sense. He was getting close to a breakthrough.

To his surprise, the tablet flew out of his hand, just as he was about to finish. He looked up to the person responsible, a naked bald woman, whose body was covered almost entirely in tattoos. There was a playful smile on her face, that spoke volumes for her intentions and her eyes gleamed with brilliance.

_"Hey, what's the big idea?" _the captain started to argue. _"I was" _he tried to continue, only for his voice to be drowned out as a pair of lips mashed into his own. They tasted soft, hot and sweet, right out of the shower. _"Busy" _came the word out of his mouth when the woman withdrew her mouth from his. Shepard felt like he wanted to do something. He was busy. After all, he had said so himself just now, but he couldn't remember what it was he wanted to do, not for the life of him. Still, the same troubled look with the contorted eyebrows was permanently glued to the spectre's face. The biotic giggled at his expression and kissed him again. _"So that's how it is?" _he argued, weakly.

_"That's how it is" _the woman reinforced, the playful smile never leaving her face.

She moved her hands lower, unbuttoning Shepard's shirt and exposing his naked abdomen. Starting a trail of kisses, Jack lowered her head from his face down to his chest, where she lingered, allowing herself a minute to tease her lover's left nipple with her lips and tongue, just as her hand moved up his abdomen, her nails leaving drag marks on his skin. The captain drew a deep breath through gritted teeth, making a hissing sound as he did, while his body convulsed at the pleasant and unpleasant stimulation it was receiving. Shepard brought his hand up and started rubbing Jack's head. This successfully distracted the biotic from her teasing, as she closed her eyes and followed his hand around for a while, humming pleased or, more accurately, purring. Satisfied from his affection and his reaction to her stimulation, Zero rewarded her lover with one more kiss before slowly withdrawing from their bed.

_"Where are you going?" _he asked, watching perplexed as his lover distanced herself from him.

_"Where do you think?" _the biotic teased, swaying her hips as she walked toward the bedroom's door frame. _"We still haven't fucked on the table"._

_*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*_

_*And we're back. After a long absence and a long overdue hiatus. This was supposed to be finished about a month ago. However, life never seizes to amaze. To cut a long story short, I was in a car crash. Don't worry, everything's been put together again. And in the proper order. So, like I said, don't worry. I'm going to be away for a week so I won't be able to answer back. Also, because I am going to be away, I don't have the time to proof read this right now. I think it's best to put it up now then do it later. I'll be in touch._


	2. Chapter 2

_Sins of the Mother: Chapter 2_

The bed was empty, when Shepard opened his eyes. No lover by his side, no warm body to huddle with and warm his own. It wasn't the cold that had woken him, though. It was the sound of out of tune guitars, being mercilessly scratched in a cacophony of lazy drum beats and slow bass. The lyrics to the songs seemed to come from a sore throat that struggled to sing each and every word. Jack, he realized, was being melancholy.

Her clothes still littered the floor, he noted as he got up from the bed. The white cotton sleeveless shirt and her miniscule panties hadn't been picked up since last night. It was entirely possible that she could have just changed into something else, but Shepard doubted it. He grabbed the sheet under the blanket and tore it away from the bed, dragging it along the floor as he made his way into the living room.

He half expected to see Jack banging her head to the sound of the music, or perhaps huddled up in a corner and crying about something she wanted to get out, but couldn't find the strength to talk about. Usually Shepard would prod her about it till she broke down and spilled everything. And as soon as that happened, he'd switch to full on support mode. Instead, he found her on both her legs, just behind the glass door, looking outside towards the wards. From the position of her hands, he could surmise that Jack held a cup in her hands. She would occasionally shake her body to the rhythm of the music, but was otherwise still. Her body was, as he had predicted, entirely naked and his eyed didn't fail to notice again the N7 logo tattooed on her lower right behind. It brought a little smirk on his face.

Coming up behind her, the marine kissed the side of her neck, as he brought the sheet around her. Jack giggled at the ticklish sensation and affectionately brought a hand up to stroke his head. Having covered her up and tied the sheet around her back, Shepard placed his hands on her hips and swayed her lazily to the rhythm of the song.

_"Come back to bed" _he pleadingly whispered in her ear.

Jack simply shook her head. _"I don't feel like it" _she turned him down.

_"I'll make it worth your while" _the captain promised.

_"Big words" _Zero taunted, but with a smirk on her face.

The man raised both eyebrows and nodded his head to the side. _"Big cock"_ he retorted, to which his lover responded by bursting out in laughter. They both stayed there for a while, the next song changing to something equally as cheerful as the one that came before it, about a relationship filled with love and hate, lust and humiliation. There was only so much the captain could take. He rolled his eyes and sighed. _"What's with the music?" _he inquired.

Jack raised her shoulder and shrugged nonchalantly. _"Helps bring me down when I'm feeling nice" _she replied.

_"Don't you want to feel nice?" _the captain asked, perplexed.

_"When I'm feeling happy, about anything, things get fucked up. So maybe if I feel like shit for a while, things will stay good longer"_ Zero explained.

Shepard shook his head and thumped his forehead against the back of Jack's head. _"There's no such thing as karmic retribution coming to get you for past sins, you know that, right?"_

The feel of his breath against the back of her neck, made Jack shiver for a moment. _"Maybe" _she replied. _"But it helps me feel safe. It's my coping mechanism" _the tattooed woman responded.

_"I thought I made you feel safe" _the man quizzed.

The bald biotic turned around to face her lover, as well as to rest her mug on a nearby table. She run a finger over the edge of his chin and lightly tapped her lips against his, then rested her head on his chest. _"You always fix things when they get haywire. That's how you keep me safe. You step up when I need someone to. But I don't want things to get haywire in the first place" _she admitted.

_"The old you use to love it, though" _Shepard noted, arms comfortingly wrapped around his lover's back. _"Things going haywire"_he elaborated.

_"I know" _she replied.

The song changed again. Slow bass and a prominently feminine voice with an evident tone of sarcasm ridiculing her lover's treatment of her. Contempt with a strong sense of remorse and pain. Shepard didn't even mind it anymore. He started to sway her again and Jack chuckled. They stayed like that for a while, neither one caring how long they had been standing there, what else they could be doing or should be doing in the meantime, simply content to hold each other and enjoy the sweet melancholy offered by the music. Their comfort was broken when the bell rang at the door.

_"I should probably get that"_ he remarked.

_"Shame. I was just beginning to feel good again" _Zero complained.

_"You should go put something on while I get the door. It's probably just Bailey, anyway, asking help to track somebody down" _the captain dismissed nonchalantly.

_"I'm dressed enough. And Bailey could have called" _Jack whined as the bell rang again.

Shepard gave his lover one last kiss on the top of her head and let her go from her embrace. As he went, he tugged on the sheet covering her, leaving her naked once more. _"Now get dressed. I mean it, Jack" _he dictated in as a patronizing tone as ever. With a groan and a grumble, Jack shuffled her way back into their bedroom. _"Coming" _shouted the marine as he made his way to the door. With a single push of a button on a panel next to the door, the two metal slabs withdrew inside the walls to reveal a familiar sight to Shepard, but one he would much rather see at some other time. _"Commander" _he offered his greeting to the man.

_"Captain" _the man greeted him back. Owen Bailey was dressed in his usual C-Sec uniform while accompanied by two lower rank officers. The look on his face did little to tip Shepard as to the purpose of his visit. Like Jack had said earlier, no matter what the problem was, he could have called.

_"What can I do for you today, Owen?" _the captain asked, now that the typical formalities had been addressed.

_"Well, would you happen to know of an ex-alliance doctor called Daryl Simons?" _the C-Sec commander quizzed.

_"Uh, no. Can't say that I do. Why?" _Shepard replied in earnest.

_"You see, he was found dead at his clinic last night, down at Zakera ward. Murdered" _Bailey informed him.

_"That's ... tragic" _the marine admitted. _"Has there been any other recorded homicides of former alliance personnel the past few weeks?" _he inquired.

_"No. But we do have footage of the last occupant of the clinic leaving early yesterday morning. At around the victim's approximate time of death" _the commander disclosed. _"It's Jack"._

_"What? My Jack?" _the marine asked surprised. _"That's impossible. Her shuttle arrived at around noon yesterday and we've been together the whole time" _he argued.

_"Not according to the shuttle manifest of the MSV Cyan Bolt, which docked on bay A13 two days ago" _Owen countermanded, as he handed Shepard a datapad.

The man scanned it with contorted eyebrows. _"This can't be right" _he said more to himself, than to Bailey, but no matter how hard he tried to disbelieve it, the entry for Jacqueline Nought didn't seem to go away.

_"For fucks sake, Bailey. Can't anybody get laid anymore without C-Sec finding out about it?" _a female voice came from behind the marine. The tiny woman was dressed in little more than a very long white bathrobe, that probably belonged to her mate.

_"Jack" _Shepard announced. _"Tell Bailey here that we've been together since you arrived on the Citadel yesterday" _he added as he gently guided her forth with a hand on her shoulder.

The C-Sec officer sighed. _"We've got footage showing you leave doctor Daryl Simons' clinic yesterday morning" _the man informed her.

Jack took a look at Bailey, then turned to Shepard. She took a step back distancing herself from the marine's reach. _"I didn't fuck him, alright?" _was all she had to say about.

_"What the" _he started, but only managed to fumble. Shepard stirred at her response. _" Jack, that's not the point here. You were here, on the citadel, for a whole day? And you didn't say a word?"_

_"Look, what more do you want me to say?" _Zero snapped.

The look on Shepard's face was serious, so serious, in fact, that Bailey decided it would be best, if he kept out of the argument while the couple sorted things out. _"Did you kill him?" _the spectre finally asked.

_"He's dead?" _the woman turned to look at Bailey for confirmation, who only gave her a confirming nod. _"Hell no, I didn't fucking kill him" _she replied with a look of disgust on her face.

_"Alright" _Bailey finally intervened. _"I'm gonna need to take both of you down to C-Sec to make a statement"_

_"I'm not going anywhere" _Jack spat, lightning crackling all over her body.

Seeing her reaction, Shepard stepped between her Bailey. _"Jack, calm down. I'll be with you the whole time, nothing's going to happen. You'll tell us how you spent the day and we'll just go home" _he reassured her, then turned to the side, to face Bailey. _"Right?" _he checked with the commander who gave an agreeing nod, in return.

_"That's right"_ Owen added after a moment. _"We just need to know what happened while you were at the clinic. If you didn't kill him, there's nothing to worry about. You'll go home as soon as we're done with the statement"._

Jack sized up her lover, then Bailey. The lightning stopped as suddenly as it had appeared. _"Alright" _she conceded. _"But he can't know" _she pointed at Shepard.

_"What? Why not?" _the spectre questioned.

_"Because you might get excited" _Zero offered as a reply.

Perplexed, Shepard nodded a few times at her, the serious look glued to his face. _"Well, we certainly can't have that, now, can we?" _he threw his hands up, exasperated.

_"I don't know if it worked, alright?" _the tattooed woman barked. _"I don't want you to get excited and then just ... not" _was all she could offer him.

The spectre was, of course, not happy with the answer. _"Jack, I'm only gonna ask you once. What did you do?"_

_"I can't tell you" _she whined, pursing her lips, then sighed. _"Dammit, Shepard, why can't you trust me for once?" _the biotic grunted.

_"I trust you not to keep secrets from me" _the man countermanded, to which Zero just shirked.

Bailey rubbed his temple with his hand, then guided it down across his face. _"That's enough. You're going downtown. Both of you" _he settled.

The couple nearly stood at attention at the sound of the C-Sec officer's voice, then looked at each other. Jack's face contorted, then she proceeded to punch Shepard's shoulder. _"This is all your fault" _she snapped at him.

_"What the hell did I do?" _the man inquired, utterly lost, as he rubbed his aching shoulder.

_"This is what happens when you make me feel good" _Zero reminded him.

*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*

The ants had made a dynamic return. They crawled under her skin, her nails, made their way into her gums and ticked at her teeth, they danced about in her ear and tickled her brain. She was going crazy and the man next to her wasn't helping any. Perhaps he was just trying to be strong for her, to prove that this all was nothing much, but the smile on his face only made her feel more uncomfortable, not to mention how he had his hand over hers, pinned on her knee, fingers kneaded and locked with her own. She tried to shake her mind out of it, by looking out of the window of the C-Sec patrol car that had picked them up, though that only reminded her how confined she was. Zero tried to be strong. She had wore her less revealing outfit, put on her chrome visor, tried to go along with it as civilly as she possible could, but the fact was this; she was going to jail. However, she didn't have to stand for it. She turned to look at the man next to her, eyebrows contorted, a pain expression on her face. The man turned around to face her.

_"What's wrong?" _he asked, the smile gone from his face, seeing her worried look.

_"I can't do this" _ she whimpered. Her hand flashed blue and pushed him away from her, then turned around and fired a bolt at the console in front of her. The two officers at the two front seats jumped and tried to stabilize the vessel that was quickly spiraling out of control. Jack grabbed the side door and with a power pull yanked it open, the shutter flying off, with Zero in tow as she jumped out of the flying vehicle.  
>Shepard's head had collided with the door. The blow was hard, despite being used to getting hit by Jack. His ear buzzed and the world seemed to swirl around him. Then he realized that it wasn't the world that was swirling, but just the shuttle car. Across from him, the door had been ripped apart and Jack was nowhere to be seen. He looked at the front of the car and saw the damaged console with sparks flying from it. <em>"Are you gonna be OK? Can you land this thing?" <em>he tried to shout over the sound of the buzzing. He was pretty sure the officer said something back to him, but he had no idea what it was. _"Good" _he added, once the man had finished talking. _"I'm going after her" _he said and jumped out as well.  
>The ground was still a good distance away from Jack. Her most prominent concern was not to get slammed on one of the cars passing by below her. She tried to move away, using her biotics to move herself out of harms way, but something was wrong. Jack found that her powers weren't manifesting. And she was feeling so very tired. She realized that if she didn't do something, she'd probably slam against one of the vehicles below her and even if she managed to miss those, the ground wouldn't be as merciful. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to breath and the world started to fade from her vision, blurring at the edges at first, till is became mostly dark with a bright white tunnel at the center of her field of view, then even that turned into a dull grey, before everything turned to black. A few dozen feet behind her and closing in fast, a second figure sped up its descent, as the biotic spiraled unconsciously towards the ground. Enveloped on a biotic field of its own, the figure managed to reach her and carry her away from the ongoing traffic, but it didn't seem able to break its fall, as it crashed on the ground below.<p>

*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*

Zero sat on the bed, arms supporting her upper body as she examined the grey haired man in front of her. He was busy setting machines and IVs. Jack knew they were all going to help her, somehow, but she'd be damned if she knew what any of those things were supposed to do. The man sensed her worried look and afforded her a glance with a comforting smile.

_"I'm sure this must all seem very overwhelming to you" _the man wheezed.

_"Not really" _Jack scowled. _"You should see the stuff they had me hooked up on Teltin"_

_"I did read the file, yes" _the doctor replied. _"Let's hope this will undo what damage they caused" _he added, wheezing again. _"Now, this normally won't cause you any significant side effects the first twenty four hours, but you might experience some drowsiness afterward. You might find it difficult to use your powers for the rest of the week, as your body adjusts to the inhibitors" _the man stretched, trying to flick a switch. _"I'd recommend staying out of trouble, in the meantime and try not to__ exert yourself. It could cause some severe hypothermia" _he warned.

_"I've been testing myself my entire life, doc. I'll be fine. So what if I get a little cold" _Zero dismissed carelessly.

_"I wish I could share your optimism" _the doctor chuckled. _"Unfortunately" _he continued in a more grave tone, _"you might find yourself quite unresponsive to the things you want your body to do"_

_*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*_

Jack jumped up. She was alive and on the ground. She didn't remember how she got there, but she was there and unharmed. She looked around perplexed, scratching her head, the she heard someone groaning under her. Looking down, Shepard was laying there, eyes closed, face contorted and trying to roll on his side. Though he seemed to be in terrible pain, he was able to move all his limbs. Zero looked to the sky, then at the people around her, who stared back in bewilderment, then back down to Shepard.

_"You followed me" _Jack noted.

_"I couldn't" _he stopped to groan some more, as he tried to get on his own two feet, _"just leave you, Jack" _he concluded.

Watching him struggle, Zero extended her arm and helped him get up. _"So now what? You're gonna take me back to C-Sec?" _she inquired.

_"I think that's no longer an option" _Shepard replied, still wheezing from pain and nearly doubling over. He looked somewhere up and behind Jack, then pointed his finger at something.

The biotic turned around and looked at one of the gigantic billboards that adorned the ward they had landed on. _"Aw shit" _Jack remarked seeing her wanted poster. _"I sure missed seeing those" _she exclaimed proudly with a smile on her face.


	3. Chapter 3

Sins of the Mother: Chapter 3

A window opened at the second floor. The fire escape ladder would take them there easily. At the bottom of the stairs stood a human couple. The man had his hair cropped, he wore a brown jacket that he currently kept unzipped and a plain tight fit red shirt underneath. His jeans were old and worn, just like his boots. The jeans hang low around his ankles and the most distinguishing feature of his boots that could be seen, was a small leather strap and buckle. Next to him, the woman had managed to get her hair even shorter than him, to the point that she was effectively bald. Though, thanks to her advanced metabolism that would soon change. She kept her chrome visor on, the reflective surface effectively hiding her eyes from everyone trying to read her expression. She had a black leather vest on, which she kept unbuttoned and a equally dark sleeveless shirt underneath it. Though she liked to display her tattoos every chance she got, for the sake of her would-be trip to C-Sec, she had decided to take a more modest approach. A dark blue pair of jeans had its legs dug inside her boots. The boots themselves had a line of straps and buckles, all tightly fastened along the length of her feet, all the way up to her knees.

_"That's our cue" _the man beckoned, lightly tapping the woman's shoulder with the back of his hand. _"Come on" _he prompted and set up the stairs, the woman following behind him.

Passing inside, through the window, they found the room occupied by a single man. His complexion was of the darkest hue, his eyes were clear and peaceful. His hair were equally trimmed short to the captain's, but unlike him, the beard was clean shaven, with the exception of a mustache and a small goatee. The beige sweater he was wearing accentuated his toned upper torso, while an olive pair of cargo pants extended down to his ankles. Since Jacob Taylor had no intention of spending his day running around, he had opted to wear a comfortable pair of brown loafers. Upon seeing him, the captain extended his hand and approached the man with a smile on his face.

_"We really need to stop meeting on emergencies only" _he said, taking in the dark skinned man's hand.

_"Not a problem, Shepard" _the former Cerberus agent shook his hand. _"So how's it going?" _he asked, nodding over to the woman that stood by the window behind them.

The captain himself risked a glance at her. _"You know how it is. Jack and all" _the captain dismissed. _"How's Brynn and the baby?"_

_"Well, she doesn't like me going out on such a short notice, but all I had to say was 'Shepard needs me' and she was OK with that" _Jacob explained. _"Listen, Shepard, I'd love to stay and chat, but I really got to head back" _he stumbled, pointing at the door behind him. _"So here's the key" _he added, fishing a card out of his pocket, _"in case someone from the staff closes the window and locks you out of the room. As for the check, I paid for a full week. The credit chit I used and the account the money is from is untraceable, so nothing funny will show up in our accounts, when C-Sec goes snooping around for accomplishes"_

Shepard took the key card in his hand, brought it up and shook it in front of Taylor. _"You've got everything figured out" _he replied, impressed.

The dark skinned man patted Shepard on the back and started for the window. _"Just make sure next time we meet, it's in a club, mixing some drinks, alright?" _He stopped in front of the window to give a smile to the bald woman that was still standing there. _"Jack" _he beckoned.

_"Taylor" _she nodded back, hands crossed over her with that, the man exited through the window. Zero scanned the room. It was typical for a cheap Citadel hotel. One monitor on a far wall, the double bed could hardly fit one and the closet wasn't big enough to hold her laundry clothes. The most redeeming quality of the room was a lone chair. It looked comfortable and soft with cushions on the arms and back. It even provided a foot stand. It was a shame that the boyscout had already occupied it. He had sank in with a loud oomph and immediately started on his omni-tool.

_"What are you doing?" _the biotic asked.

_"I'm getting to the bottom of this. I'm calling Liara" _the captain replied.

_"Shepard, don't" _Jack pleaded.

_"Don't? Really?" _the man exclaimed, bending forward on his seat. _"So I shouldn't worry about you going unconscious and nearly killing yourself, because you're totally fine, right?" _he snapped.

_"I did something" _she admitted, her voice shaking.

_"That much I gathered for myself" _he barked. _"Now are you going to tell me what it was?" _the captain flushed, but Zero offered no response. _"Didn't think so" _he answered himself and continued working on his omni-tool.

_"Look, I promise, I'm going to tell you everything, alright? But I just can't do it right now" _the small woman cried as loud as her gradually weakening voice let her. _"I need the time, I need to find the strength, because there are things about me you don't know about and"_

_"All I know is that I love you" _he shouted over the sound of Jack's voice, interrupting her, as he got up from his seat. He walked to her, by the window and brought his hands up to cup her cheeks. His thumbs moved under her visor and he felt the tears that were marring her face underneath. _"And nothing you've done in the past can change that"_

_"Shepard?"_ came an inquisitive, yet serene voice from the captain's omni-tool.

The man rolled his eyes. This wasn't something he wanted to have Liara to hear. _"Hello, Liara. Sorry to trouble you at such an inopportune time", _he hastily apologized, withdrawing his arms from Jack.

_"There's no problem. I was actually waiting for you to call, I" _the asari stammered. _"I heard about what happened"._

_"Of course you did" _Jack mouthed, without actually speaking.

_"Do you need any help?" _the alien offered, but the spectre didn't answer. He simply locked his eyes with those of his mate. Or he would have, if he could see over that goddamn visor. _"Shepard?" _Liara asked again.

_"No, Liara, everything's" _he paused for a moment, trying to make himself sound like he believed what he was saying. _"Everything's fine. I just wanted to check up on you guys. Actually, I was just talking to Jacob a minute ago" _the captain tried to lie. He knew he was bad at it and he also knew that Liara could see right through him.

_"Alright" _the asari replied, reluctantly. _"If you need anything" _she started.

_"I'll be sure to call" _the captain dismissed hastily.

_"OK, then. Maybe some other time" _she offered.

_"Yeah" _Shepard said awkwardly, as he stared at the ground and shifted from leg to leg. _"Goodbye, Liara"._

The omni-tool powered down and the spectre walked away, trying to wipe away the fluster from his face with his hand. Jack's eyes followed him around as he went. _"Are you angry at me?" _she asked.

_"No", _he argued. _"I should be" _he exclaimed. _"But I'm not. I just" _he paused as he sank back on the chair. _"If I hadn't jumped out the door of that shuttle car, you would be dead now. Do you understand that? When I reached you, I cried your name out, but you wouldn't even respond. I don't know what the hell is happening to you and I'm afraid I might lose you"_

_"You're not going to lose me"_ Zero countermanded.

_"I wish I could believe that, Jack" _the captain sighed. _"I really wish I could". _Shepard sat on his chair and waited for a reply from Jack. To tell him what she took at the clinic perhaps, but most importantly to simply say she was sorry. But that wasn't Jack. He knew that and he understood that. There were things Jack never said or admitted. Like "I love you". Instead, he opted to stomach it all, in silent agony.

_"So what now?" _She wondered after a while.

_"Now we need to prove you're innocent" _Shepard noted. _"And to do that, we need to see who came and went after you in doctor Simons' clinic"._


	4. Chapter 4

Sins of the Mother: Chapter 4

Zakera ward offered lots of shadows and plenty of space to hide in between, as it were at constant night, ever since the Citadel had returned to the Serpent Nebula. Truth was that many of its inhabitants missed the sun of the humans' native solar system, its warmth and light brightened their days and lifted their spirits. C-Sec had also noticed a sharp decline in crimes happening in the wards. Now that Sol was far away though, the uglier face of reality had once again showed its face. As much as he regretted it, Shepard couldn't deny the fact he was actually thankful for it.

The darkness had certainly helped make his approach of the clinic easier. It was a hard climb, as the clinic itself was nestled nearly at the top of the east most side of the ward, against the very wall that sheltered Zakera. The walkway was long and offered a majestic view of the ward below. Many stores were placed there, as well as cafes and restaurants, benefiting from the wonderful view.

With guarded steps the two made their way across the walkway, only to stop at a door sealed by tape and a warning omni-sign at around waist height that prompted them to stay away. Jack looked at Shepard as they came up to the sign, him returning the inquisitive look. The bald woman simply shook her head and climbed over the sign, reaching the door. The captain followed suit behind her. He cut the tape with his omni-blade, then remotely accessed the door's controls to unlock it. With a chime and a hiss, the two metallic slates that blocked their path slid into the walls, not long after. Just as Shepard was about to gesture Jack to pass through the door, the psychotic biotic had already made it into the clinic. A little disappointed, his chance to show off ruined, the man entered behind her.

Jack planted her hands on her waist and looked around the hallway, before returning to look at the marine. _"So. What now?" _she wondered.

_"I need to check doctor Simons' records" _Shepard informed her.

_"So you can see my file" _Jack clarified.

_"I just want your check out time from the clinic" _the captain specified. _"If you didn't kill" _he started.

_"I didn't" _Zero interrupted him.

_"Right" _he said after a moment. _"Well, since you didn't kill him, then someone else obviously did shortly after you left. Maybe we can find some surveillance footage of our murderer. Also, we might find leads in those records as to who would want our good doctor dead" _the marine explained.

_"And what the hell am I supposed to do in the meantime?" _the biotic inquired with her usual tact.

_"This place is a murder scene. I could use a pair of eyes going through it while we're here" _Shepard proposed. _"Maybe C-Sec missed something"._

_"I'm not an investigator" _the bald woman countermanded.

_"Then you could have fooled me" _the captain argued. _"Aren't you the reason I was acquitted of all charges on a similar murder case a few years back?"_

His mate pursed her lips, not finding the right words to contradict him. _"Shit" _she settled eventually. _"Alright, but don't expect me to crack this case open" _Jack warned him, raising an accusative finger at him.

_"Anything that turns up is bound to be useful. I just want your help" _he sighed, letting his arms drop to his sides.

Zero sized him up one last time, then turned around and walked down the hallway. _"The doctor's office is down this way", _she informed him.

*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*

Looking outside the window, the biotic enjoyed the view. She hadn't had the time to do so the previous times she had been there, as other, more pressing matters had captured her attention. Now, at this clean swept room there was little for her to do, besides taking in the sights, having given up on her search for clues a while ago. Across the clinic was a building that Jack had surmised was one of the more luxurious hotels on the Citadel. The Citadel Spire it was called and she was pretty sure she had seen in on a guide somewhere, as one of the most fancy places one could visit in the entire galaxy. At the roof was a terrace with a pool. Many people had gathered there to swim, relax, enjoy a drink or just dance. She wanted to be there, escape this reality where she was once more wrongly accused and hunted. But she couldn't. She had people that relied on her, that respected her, that listened to her, that loved her. And unfortunately for her, she also happened to love them back.

Zero sighed and lowered her head, then turned to look at the desk in the clinic's office. Behind it, a focused man stared intently at the monitor in front of him. _"Found something?" _she asked unceremoniously.

The man glanced at her for less then a second, without raising his head at all, his eyes returning to the screen in front of him. The file on Jacqueline Nought was large. He was tempted to open it and read through it, but he had promised her; he wouldn't read the file, nor ask for Liara's help, or anyone else. He would patiently wait until Jack herself was ready to tell him. _"Nothing yet. Just looking for your check out time, yesterday morning" _he skimmed through the text, then stumbled onto something he hadn't quite thought off. _"Hang on a minute. It says here you checked in at 17:43 two days ago. You spent the entire night here?" _he wondered with a contorted look on his face.

_"Yup"_, was all the tattooed woman had to say and returned her gaze to the terrace of the hotel outside the window.

*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*

The bed was hardly more than a white slab. It didn't feel comfortable at all. It did, however, allow for the machines required to monitor her to be strapped on. They would also prohibit her from shifting around in bed. Jack laid down on it. She knew she was going to hate it, she would little to no sleep, time would pass at a snail's pace tonight. With a sigh, she settled herself down as best as she could. Over her, the balding man with the labcoat attached a few devices to the railings at the side of the slab. In spite of his forehead teaming with beads of sweat, he still had that pleasant smile on his face, trying to make the whole process as less strenuous as he could on her.

_"I'm terribly sorry I have to keep you here for this. I'm sure there are other places you would rather be" _he apologized preemptively, sensing the woman's discomfort.

Jack turned her head to the side, as if seeing something beyond what was visible to other people. She stared intently enough that the doctor felt like there was something actually there. Eventually the woman sighed and turned back to him. _"Not a problem doc", _she reassured him.

The man felt a weight off his shoulder. She had been through enough, he had realized. _"The procedure is still dangerous. I have no doubt that you will pull through, but I would still like to monitor you for tonight. In case anything goes wrong", _Daryl paused for a moment, scratching his forehead and simultaneously wiping the sweat from it. Once again, he checked the flow of the inhibitor through her IV. _"The flow is steady. You should feel real no discomfort, other than some drowsiness" _he noted as he looked down on the woman, fidgeting on the slab. _"Which might actually be a bliss under these circumstances" _he joked.

The bald woman shifted under the mechanism that monitored her vitals. _"If I sleep tonight" _she asked with a voice void of emotion, _"will I wake up tomorrow?"_

The man took the biotic's little hand in his own. _"I'll be here all night to make sure of it. Nothing will happen to you" _he assured her.

Jack sighed and her eyes rolled. Out of the corner of her eye, a single tear rolled down, which the man tenderly wiped. _"I don't like doctors" _she said, her voice visibly broken this time. She had promised herself she would be strong, but this stranger, this man that she had never seen in person before this day was being as comforting as only one other man had been in her life. She didn't want to admit it, but she was scared. Even though she had told herself numerous times to never let anyone else know it, she felt comfortable enough to let him know. _"But you did good by my girls. And the alliance says you're the best there is"_ she added.

_"Well, I've heard miss Rodriguez speak very highly of you"_ the man conceded. _"So let's not give her anything to worry about tonight, okay?" _he proposed with the warmest, most comforting smile he could muster. Jack wiped her misty eyes and nodded in agreement. _"Goodnight, miss Nought. We'll speak again in the morning" _he reminded her.

*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*'*

The contorted look on the man's face said it all. He was onto something. _"What's wrong, boyscout?" _the bald woman mused.

_"I'm playing back the footage from the security camera" _he informed her. _"There's a time lapse between 11:52:23 till 11:53:05" _the captain elaborated. _"And another one between 11:58:11 till 11:58:53. Two identical forty two second intervals." _Shepard rewound the footage to the part where Jack was exiting the clinic and counted till the biotic disappeared from his screen. _"It takes you roughly over a minute to reach the stairs down. But you're not in much of a hurry"_ the marine noted.

_"Meaning?" _the biotic inquired.

_"Forty two seconds is a pretty good time interval for someone to reach the door from the stairs. And nobody will notice any change in the footage, since there are no other people coming or going at this level. Someone tampered the recording" _he concluded.

_"Wait, that proves I'm innocent, right?" _Zero beamed.

_"Yes, but we still need to find out who framed you. And I need to know what you were doing here in the first place" _Shepard reminded her.

_"I need more time, Shepard" _the biotic repeated once more.

_"And I've got your file right in front of me" _the captain informed her.

Jack frowned behind her visor and turned to look back outside. _"I can't stop you if that's that's how you want to find out" _the biotic resigned herself.

The man's fist slammed against the desk. It's not how he wanted to find out. He wanted her to know that she could trust him about everything. Reading her file would wound their relationship and though it would recover eventually, he'd rather there was no wound in the first place. _"I'm deleting the file" _he informed her, though it pained him to do so. For a moment, he thought he saw the edge of his lover's lips curl into a smirk, but whatever he though he saw, was soon interrupted by a loud hiss. The door to the clinic was open. The two lovers looked at each other, both frozen for a moment.

_"Out the window" _Jack mouthed, without actually speaking.

Shepard, of course, thought the woman was crazy to suggest something like that. But it was Jack, so that wasn't something new. He jumped over the deceased doctor's desk and ran for her. _"C-Sec! Freeze or I'll shoot", _a loud voice boomed from behind him, but there was no way he was stopping. He stretched out his hand to grab the woman that stood next to the glass as he jumped towards the glass, enveloped in a blue blaze. The glass gave way upon impact, shattering to a million pieces, accompanied by the sound of gunfire. The spectre turned around, as he tried to shield his mate both from the glass and the bullets. Her heard her cry out in pain and the blaze fizzed, letting them both fall to the void below.

Time seemed to slow down around Shepard. He looked for Jack's eyes, now shut. He could feel her breath on his face, even as they fell, but she wasn't responding, neither when he called her name, nor when he touched her cheek. She was unconscious again, he realized. The barrier must have drained her and the impact of the C-Sec officer's bullets knocked her out. Now it was once more up to him to keep them both alive. He looked for anything, a ledge to hold on to, a place to land and then he saw the roof terrace of the Citadel Spire and its beautiful cyan pool. His hold on Jack tightened as they both were enveloped in a blue light, then propelled a significant distance forward.

The world around them started to pick up and their fall accelerated significantly. _"It's all gonna be OK" _ he whispered in her ear as his back fell into the water below. The two became submerged and as soon as the water enveloped them, he felt something struggling against him. He fought, trying to surface back and as his upper body popped out of the water, he saw the frantic bald woman pushing him away and gasping for breath. _"Jack, it's alright, it's me, it's alright" _he repeated, until the biotic finally calmed herself.

_"Shepard?" _she questioned out loud. _"What the hell happened? Where are we?"_

_"Across from doctor Simons' clinic"_ he informed her. _"On top of the Citadel Spire hotel" _the spectre elaborated after a moment.

_"The Citadel Spire? How did we" _Jack started, looking up towards the clinic and seeing the broken glass and a C-Sec officer standing at the edge. _"Oh, right" _she remembered. The biotic settled herself in her lovers embrace, then took in the sight of the terrified party guests, which seemed to please Jack immeasurably as her mouth formed a smile. She forced her lips on the marines for just a moment and went on to enjoy the looks on the guests faces. _"Never crashed a party like that before, have you, boyscout?" _she teased.


End file.
